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Microsoft admits to using Palm's technology
ANY SURPRISE that Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 delivers a good experience might be tempered by the announcement that Microsoft has licensed technology from Palm.
The admission from the Vole that it is turning to Palm for help comes days after Microsoft sued Motorola for alleged patent infringement for using Google's Android operating system.
Microsoft has been saying for some time that Android is not free and that it's upcoming Windows Phone 7 operating system protects handset makers from potential litigation, such as its own against Motorola.
Now it seems that Microsoft has licensed technology from Palm in order to both add functionality that it couldn't code up itself and make sure that handset manufacturers who put Windows Phone 7 on their devices won't end up in court.
David Kaefer, general manager of intellectual property and licensing at Microsoft told Reuters, "By focusing on efficiently licensing patented innovations from other companies, we're free to develop great software and we're able to provide our partners and customers intellectual property peace-of-mind."
Although the news that Microsoft is licensing technology from a rival might raise a few eyebrows, the fact that it is Palm isn't all that surprising. Microsoft and Palm's new owner, HP, have a long history and this week at an event in Barcelona, HP gave considerable stage time to Microsoft to wax its lyrical about a 25 year 'special relationship' between the two. We were surprised that a box of tissues wasn't on stage. It is hardly likely that Microsoft will seek help from Google, Apple or the ailing Symbian operating system and risk alienating one of its biggest customers.
Palm's WebOS has been well received and smartphones running the operating system should tip up sometime next year. In the meantime Microsoft will be hoping that some of the same technology will help Windows Phone 7 succeed where its previous smartphone operating systems have failed, and provide stable and reliable service to users.
Windows Phone 7 devices are scheduled to tip up next week in the US. µ
Tags: Microsoft
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Um, if they really needed to use Palm's technology then the licensing agreement would have occurred at the start of development, not immediately prior to release. This is all about PR positioning, an attempt to get firms like Gartner recommend that firms don't buy smartphones from other providers due to rights risks.
But -- and here's the thing -- purchasers need not care. Let's say you buy the Xphone and then MS sues X out of existence. You've still got your phone, it still works. Even from a corporate point of view, staff moving between makes of phone is hardly an IT control issue -- it happens in all large firms every day.
For example, did all those people who bought Danger phones suddenly go "oh no, it's been acquired and discontinued, I'll have to buy another phone right away"?
So yes, it's a FUD strategy. But more interestingly it shows that MS still thinks that desktop strategies can work in the phone market, long after the failure of Windows Mobile should have shown MS that this is not so.
Just because company X takes a license to patents from company Y doesn't mean they're "turning to them for help". It doesn't even mean that they think they're infringing their patents.
All it means is that they think that company Y can put together a cogent argument that would at least get into court. Bear in mind how expensive patent litigation can be in the US (a single patent case can easily run to the low tens of millions of $ on each side) if the settlement price is low enough, company X can be highly motivated to just take it and avoid the risk.
Well at least they went ahead and got licensing. Not like jobs, who doesn't even bother with licensing patents. From the current suit against apple it appears their stance is to infringe first and then have a lawyer budget.
Does this actually mean that M$ is finally learning that their thievery doesn't pay?
And it goes without saying that the US patent picture on mathematical expression is ludicrous.
Licensing a patent is a long ways from contracting with PalmSource to code up features. The fact that they are licensing the technology without getting sued shows that M$ is actually trying to play by the rules, regardless of how stupid those intellectual property rules may be.
Its PalmSource, owned by Access, not Palm owned by HP, and the patents likely cover fundamental technology patents Microsoft is using already, like syncing email, rather that anything related to UI and user experience.